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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26401783">Or so they say</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Konbini/pseuds/Konbini'>Konbini</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Succession (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Bottom Tom, Greg is a Roy, M/M, Repression, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tom and Shiv's crumbling marriage, Tom's manners, Top Greg</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:08:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,785</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26401783</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Konbini/pseuds/Konbini</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom has the barest shape - an innocuous sliver - that cuts across his left thigh. Light and shiny like a scar. Like a shiv. And just beside, slightly overlapping, the word 'Roy'.</p><p>Shiv - like all the Roys - doesn't have a mark on her. Tom has checked. </p><p>But, she's the one, right?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Greg Hirsch/Tom Wambsgans</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Or so they say</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The one thing that Tom has grown used to feeling in his marriage with Shiv is sadness.</p><p>It's a bit wishy-washy.</p><p>It comes and goes, crests like receding waves, and Tom never thought it would be like this. Not that he'd had much of an idea. Soulmate marks were always so vague and who'd ever actually <em>really</em> found their soulmate by scrying them? No one, that's who. They were something to be poked and prodded at in hindsight when you finally found the one.</p><p>Tom has the barest shape - an innocuous sliver - that cuts across his left thigh. Light and shiny like a scar. Like a shiv. And just beside, slightly overlapping, the word 'Roy'. When he'd first met Siobhan, that's how she'd introduced herself. And Tom had felt <em>so</em> stupid - and alternately elated - when she'd invited him to a function and Roman had been there and he'd tossed out a 'Shiv' as greeting and Tom realized Roman was a <em>Roy</em> and he was Siobhan's brother which meant <em>she</em> was a Roy.</p><p>Shiv Roy.</p><p>And she was perfect. She was clever, fashionable, rich as fuck, pretty, soft, strong, smart. And Tom had long been accused of being a bumpkin but he'd never believed it about himself until then. He might have googled her! He might have found her earlier!</p><p>But how many Roys were there in New York really?</p><p>If Tom had to put it down to a moment - when things truly soured - it would have to be at the cove. When he'd admitted he wanted to be exclusive.</p><p>Stupid. It was stupid of him. If Shiv was smart, Tom was dumb. Important - irrelevant. Gorgeous - curmudgeonly. Well Cultured - agricultural. Essential - disposable.</p><p>He never could have satisfied her.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When Kendall's 'day with the media' happens, it's easy to be angry. He's fucked them all over, even if really it's because he's been fucked over first.</p><p>Logan barks orders and Shiv and the other councilors retreat to the makeshift war room.</p><p>They slam it in Tom's face as if he doesn't exist. His mind is too far away to take offense. He returns to the sofa and watches the press release on repeat across every news channel in the world.</p><p>There - tucked in the corner, documents in hand - is Greg.</p><p>Tom's stomach drops to the soles of his feet. And then it happens quite literally when he bends over and retches.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The thing about Greg is - well, the thing about it is - he maybe makes Tom...not nervous. Not that, no. Giddy. Playful. Or maybe - Tom doesn't know.</p><p>Tom just wants - he doesn't know. He wants to be near Greg, and by Greg, and talk to Greg and have Greg look at him. He wants to irritate Greg so that he'll have his attention, to put him on edge so that he'll always be looking. And he wants to make an impression, be inimitable. And yeah, maybe he does want to take out a little of the shit that's been shoveled onto him on Greg - who is a Roy and yet not.</p><p>And - he wants Greg to look at him in awe.</p><p>When he sees Greg on the screen, documents in hand and knows what it means, Tom also wants to <em>strangle</em> him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Tom could have betrayed him at the hunt and he didn't.</p><p>And yeah, maybe he did send him to do the dirty work but who else could he trust in life?</p><p>Not Shiv.</p><p>And as it turns out, not Greg either.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Shiv is all revved up. They fly back to New York in a flurry of paperwork and half-yelled phone calls. After they exit the helicopter Shiv's in with a driver and Tom is left standing stupid - the only one - on the helipad.</p><p>Tom barely sees a moment of her in the next week - feels tossed by the wayside really - but he puts up with it because he knows this is hard on her. On everyone.</p><p>She's working so hard she barely leaves the Waystar-Royco premises.</p><p>Tom picks up supper and brings it one night. It's supposed to be romantic. It's supposed to be a man standing by his woman.</p><p>Shiv's getting nailed on her desk by - as far as Tom can tell - an intern.</p><p>She doesn't see him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Tom isn't stupid. He knows what's going to happen to him. Just because it hasn't happened <em>yet</em> means very little.</p><p>"You're a sick fuck, you know that?" Tom spits angrily on the phone to Greg's voicemail, "I mean really. <em>Fuck</em>. <em>you</em>. Fuck you and your rich fucking Roy blood. Fuck you, fuck you, <em>fuck you</em>!!"</p><p>He should say, 'just get on with it' but he doesn't have the courage. He's aware of every extra minute he has thanks to Greg not yet spilling the beans.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Shiv slides into bed with him at dawn about three days later.</p><p>She cuddles up to his back and Tom tries not to stiffen.</p><p>Tom feels nothing.</p><p>It's the saddest maybe he's ever felt.</p><p>"I want to do it." She says, an old argument, "I think I'd feel closer to you if we did it."</p><p>Maybe, if he does it, she won't leave. Won't need other lovers.</p><p>"I...I want to feel closer to you." Tom says, turning around.</p><p>Shiv's smile is blinding and beautiful and heartbreaking.</p><p>Tom smiles back, a little weak.</p><p>He wants to feel happy, but he just feels conquered.</p><p>Shiv hops off the bed.</p><p>"Now?" Tom asks.</p><p>At the very least, he thought he'd have a little time to mentally prepare.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It doesn't...go well.</p><p>The thing about Tom is that he isn't - that he might give the impression of being a little - but he isn't.</p><p>And Shiv had maybe blindsided him at first when she'd just <em>assumed</em> that he was -</p><p>She wants to be inside him.</p><p>Tom is not a hippy.</p><p>Tom is not a - and it doesn't bother him that other people are - it's just that he...<em>can't</em> be. His mother would... he's Midwestern, he's progressive sure but Tom is a man. Tom is a strong, intimidating man.</p><p>And a man would never - Would never.</p><p>It would be alright if he's on top, he thinks, but he isn't on top. He's the one being...he's...he shouldn't...</p><p>He cries when she does it, and shifts around, and mewls, pants and comes.</p><p>Shiv looks happy, truly content for a moment afterward before Tom breaks into tears.</p><p>There's a good amount of awkward clean up and Tom sullenly hiding in the bathroom before he can face her again.</p><p>Her eyes are a little wet at the corners.</p><p>"This isn't going to work." She says.</p><p>Tom desperately wants it to work. Tom knows he should have kept his mouth shut. He should have let Shiv have her lovers without complaint. Should have realized he isn't man enough for a Roy. <em>She</em> doesn't have a soulmark after all. It's only him.</p><p>Him, alone.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It's only a week later when Shiv gets smashed and brings two men home to fuck him that Tom echoes her sentiment.</p><p>"I'll cuck you, that'll be fun, right?" Shiv slurs, then laughs.</p><p>
  <em>This isn't going to work.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Mondale has nowhere to go. Tom can't find a fucking room with a decent - and he is <em>not</em> putting Mondale in a kennel. <em>Fuck</em> that.</p><p>Mondale has suffered enough.</p><p>Tom is all snot and tears and expensive cashmere as him and Mondale roam from hotel to hotel - refused at every counter.</p><p>Tom admits it could have something to do with the snot. And maybe a little to do with the volume of his crying. He hardly knows where he is when he ends up in front of Greg's door.</p><p>And this is not to be borne. Tom doesn't even know how he got here.</p><p>He turns away just as Mondale runs off further down the hall, jumping straight onto a classily-clad Greg who has just returned.</p><p>"<em>Mondale?</em>" Greg asks, incredulously - so fucking stupidly - as if he thinks Mondale might respond.</p><p>"<em>Oh yes Greg, it's me Mondale.</em>" Tom spits sarcastically in a high voice, through tears, and it isn't even his Mondale voice.</p><p>Which is frankly alarming. That's how off kilter Greg makes him. Mondale's voice would be smooth and deep. Like Terry Crews' voice.</p><p>Greg stills, goes completely serious.</p><p>"Are you alright?" He asks.</p><p>"Just <em>why</em>-" the tight, high strangled voice is back, "why would I be alright?"</p><p>Greg swallows, looks embarrassed - the way he always looks when Tom treats him like he's stupid.</p><p>"You're crying." He says quietly.</p><p>"Yes Greg. I'm crying." Tom says sarcastically, and then - horror of horrors - he actually bursts into a fresh round of tears.</p><p>"Hey, shh, that's okay." Greg murmurs.</p><p>Greg hands are on Tom's shoulders and they steer him inside after Greg is done fumbling with the keys.</p><p>Very shortly a cup of water is pressed into Tom's hands. He's about to ask for water for Mondale too but when he blinks to clear the tears from his eyes Greg is already filling up a dish.</p><p>"Could you take care of Mondale?" Tom asks plainly.</p><p>"Uh...well, it's just that I don't know if Kendall would want-"</p><p>Tom stands up abruptly, feels the rejection viscerally - right in his gut.</p><p>"Mondale," Tom calls but Mondale just looks at him lazily, "We can tell when we're not wanted."</p><p>"Hey! I never said - "</p><p>"Oh sure. But why would Kendall want you to talk to the opposition. The guy you've fucked over. The guy everyone is fucking over."</p><p>Greg stops Tom's rather frantic escape with a firm hand.</p><p>"Stop." Greg says, and Tom does.</p><p>It's uncharacteristically commanding, tingles run down Tom's spine.</p><p>But then the awkward boyish charm is back again.</p><p>"I just don't think it's, like, smart or whatever to let you go. You're obviously distressed and Mondale looks really tired." Greg really impresses the last part, eyes staring into Tom's in earnest, "A-and you know, I just meant like - as a landlord Kendall might not be too happy with me getting dog hair on the furniture. Not that, like, you're the opposition or anything."</p><p>Greg cringes when Tom looks at him sharply. And somehow that pleases Tom. That he still has that modicum of control. Because, if he's being honest, Greg holds all the cards.</p><p>"Well, I guess Mondale is pretty tired," Tom concedes, "He did have a rather strenuous walk."</p><p>"See?" Greg smiles at him conspiratorially, "I knew it! He looks like <em>sooo</em> tired."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Greg doesn't ask and Tom doesn't tell.</p><p>Instead Greg cozies up the guest room for him and let's Mondale have free reign of the house and couch.</p><p>Tom feels almost normal that night in bed.</p><p>Then he thinks of Shiv and feels his face burn in shame.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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